Stars Wars VR experience coming to Disney parks later this year

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not arriving at Disneyland and DisneyWorld until 2019, but there is some good news that will should make the wait a lot more bearable. A brand new Star Wars VR experience will hit both theme parks by the end of this year.

Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic are making the VR experience possible through a partnership with VR studio, The Void, called Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. The Void has worked with major entities to create a VR world in the past, most notably a Ghostbusters version last year in conjunction with the female-led reboot.

The Void made the official announcement via its website and gave a brief description of what Disney park visitors can expect.

“A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it’s what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell,” stated The Void co-founder and chief creative officer Curtis Hickman. “Through the power of The VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.”

Within the VR experience, guests will roam around freely where they will move untethered and interact with Star Wars characters. Aside from that, few details were provided about the VR experience including theme or specific characters involved.

The Void did release a promotional image that shows off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’s K-2SO guiding guests in the VR world with Mustafar serving as the background. This may hint at a Rogue One-specific experience, but that’s just speculation at this time. The image also shows off a kid with a VR headset and a blaster that may provide more clues into how exactly the VR setting will function.

The Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR experience will be available at Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney at Disney’s Anaheim park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at its Orlando park. It will open during the holiday season, which coincides with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.